FUSTIC. 385 



not be used with advantage in dyeing. It would 

 indeed be a most valuable desideratum if the colour- 

 ing matter obtained from distant countries could be 

 brought in the form of extract, thus concentrating all 

 their virtues within the least possible space. But 

 hitherto all colours are found to be injured while un- 

 dergoing this process. The chemist would render 

 an acceptable service to the arts who should discover 

 means whereby this purpose might be successfully 

 accomplished. 



Quercitron bark is imported into England under 

 an impost of Sd. per cwt. : its price is about 9s. per 

 cwt. 



The average annual importation for the last five 

 years is 2,214 casks, containing ten cwt. each. 



The wood of a species of mulberry orMoru-s tinctoria, 

 yields a yellow colour, and is much used by dyers. 



This tree is of spontaneous growth in Brazil and 

 in many of the West-India islands, where it attains to 

 a considerable height. 



The precise period of its introduction into Europe 

 as a dyeing substance is not exactly known, but it 

 was certainly soon after the middle of the seventeenth 

 century, as at about that time we find it noticed among 

 the dyeing drugs in use. It is now in very extensive 

 demand in our dye-houses under the name of Fustic. 



This wood, which is of a sulphur colour with orange 

 veins, abounds with colouring matter ; it may be 

 used substantively and is tolerably durable, but it can 

 be made extremely so when in combination with the 

 same mordants as are employed with weld or querci- 

 tron. Though a permanent dye, it is seldom used 

 for pure yellow, as the colour which it imparts is dull 

 and muddy ; it is therefore chiefly employed in 

 compound colours. It goes much farther than weld, 

 but is not of so economical a use as quercitron. In 



2 L 



